Trade-offs between life-history traits
Finally, we tested whether there are trade-offs between within-host
infection load and transmission potential, and whether P.
subordinaria strain or PlLV coinfection have an effect on trade-offs.
In this model, pathogen strain had significant impact on pycnidia
formation, but PlLV coinfection did not (Table1). We found that while
pycnidia formation was not directly correlated with AUDPS, the
relationship between pycnidia formation and AUDPS was mediated by strain
identity (significant interaction AUDPS × strain; Table 1; Fig. 3A) and
by coinfection with PlLV (significant interaction AUDPS × PlLV
coinfection; Table 1; Figure 3B). There was a negative correlation
between AUDPS and pycnidia formation in strain P29 suggesting a
trade-off, whereas in strain P43 there was no evidence of a trade-off
(Figure 3A). Similarly, in mock inoculated plants trade-offs between
pycnidia formation and AUDPS was observed, but not in PlLV infected
plants (Figure 3B).